Culture

Junk Explained: Why Have Peloton Exercise Bikes Turned Into A Massive Meme?

"Nothing says 'maybe you should lose a few pounds' like gifting your already rail-thin life partner a Peloton."

by Michelle Rennex  5 December 2019
Peloton Ad

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People are losing their minds over Peloton’s creepy, dystopian Christmas advertisement.

In what has been likened to a Black Mirror episode, the recent ad for an exercise bike has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

First, What Is A Peloton?

For those playing at home, Peloton is an American exercise equipment company, best known for their touchscreen-enabled stationary bike. The luxury bicycle retails for $2245 USD and is designed to be used in conjunction with a Peloton membership.

The membership retails for $39 USD a month and gives you access to streamable spin classes — imagine Soul Cycle but in the comfort of your own home. Or mansion, as I suspect if you’re paying that much for an exercise bike.

Endorsed by celebrities like Sofia Vergara, Richard Branson, Hugh Jackman, and Usain Bolt, the Peloton is the exercise bike for the who’s who. From the price tag alone, it’s clear that Peloton products are marketed to the 1%. However, the other 99% caught wind of their latest Christmas advertisement, and people aren’t happy.

The Ad That Has Everyone Worried

The highly-dramatic ad in question follows the story of a wife who has been gifted an expensive Peloton exercise bike for Christmas by her husband. Set to Tal Bachman’s inspirational tune, ‘She’s So High’, the 30-second advert chronicles the woman’s daily indoor biking adventure.

She records herself on her fitness journey over the year, and presents her hubby with a supercut of her biking adventures the following Christmas. The vlog opens with the anxious wife atop her brand new Peloton.

“First ride! I’m a little nervous, but excited. Let’s do this,” she says into her phone before she embarks on her first cycle. In the safety of her own home. On her $3200 AUD stationary bike. Where there is literally nothing she could logically be nervous about.

The video continues with the wife walking through her beautiful glass front door in an office get-up. That’s so we know she is a working woman and exercise is totally doable when you have a real life!

“Five days in a row — are you surprised? I am!,” she chirps to camera. But as with any good story, there are ups and downs. As she looks into her phone while laying in darkness in her bed, she groans: “6 am. Yay.”

The video wraps up with the wife speaking through the camera to her husband. “A year ago I didn’t realise how much this would change me. Thank you,” she says. Then the advertisement ends with the wife lovingly staring at her man while the camera pans out.

Why Is Everyone So Mad?

Well, judging by the wife’s reaction when she sees the bike, it doesn’t look like the whole Peloton discussion was ever had.

This means the husband just thought to himself, “You know what my slim wife needs? An exercise bike she’ll feel forced to ride because it’s a good couple grand.” By this logic, her husband might as well have just called her a slob and saved himself some money.

The ad is being labelled sexist for the husband passive-aggressively “gifting” his wife an exercise bike she never asked for. His already slim and fit-looking wife, mind you. The wife who, judging by their beautiful house and her fancy office clothes, also has to work an office job while balancing daily workouts to impress him.

The wife who felt obligated to produce a year-long diary of her fitness journey to prove to her husband that she’s using her expensive Peloton.

Moreover, people just couldn’t understand why the wife looked so scared throughout the ad. Her expression for the entire 30 seconds screams scared and, if we’re being honest, hostage-esque. She doesn’t look like she wants to work out at all — just look at her enthusiasm for her 6am cycle session!

So it begs the question of why exactly is she exercising so much? Does she feel she needs to look a certain way for her husband? Is she trying to impress him? Does she feel pressured? Seriously, why does the wife look so scared in every scene.

The advertisement even inspired a viral parody video that poked fun at the sexist ideals of the original. The video focuses on the offensive and rude gesture of a man getting his wife exercise equipment as a gift. This video ends with divorce, as it rightfully should.

The Impact On Peloton

Following the criticism of the ad and it’s potentially sexist undertones, Peloton’s stock dropped 9% in a single day. That is a 24-hour loss of nearly $942 million market value off the back of a 30-second clip.

In a statement to CNBC, a Peloton spokesperson said: “While we’re disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial, we are encouraged by, and grateful for, the outpouring of support we’ve received from those who understand what we were trying to communicate.”

The spokesperson continued that it was never their intention to project any of the ideas that are being thrown around. “We constantly hear from our members how their lives have been meaningfully and positively impacted after purchasing or being gifted a Peloton Bike or Tread,” they said. “Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey.”

But judging by their target market of the uber rich, Peloton will probably bounce back in no time.